EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


A 


DISCOURSE 


DEUVEREU  BEFORE  THE  GENERAL  CONVENTION  OF  THE  BAPTIST 
DENOMINATION  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

AT  ITS 

NINTH  TRIENNIAL  SESSION,  HELD  IN  THE  OLIVER  STREET 
BAPTIST  CHURCH,  NEW  YORK,  APRIL  25,  1838. 


BT 

BARON  STOW, 


PASTOR  OF  THE  CHURCH  IN  BALDWIN  PLACE,  BOSTON. 


BOSTON: 

, KENDALL  AND  LINCOLN. 

1838. 


C O U L D 


POWER  PRESS  OF  WILLIAM  3.  DAMRELL, 

No.  9 Cornlnll,  Boston. 


Bosion,  May  8,  1838. 


Dear  Brother, 


The  Convention  having  committed  to  the  Board  the  duty  of 


publishing  your  valuable  Sermon,  delivered  before  it  at  the  opening  of  its  late 
session,  the  Board  yesterday  voted  unanimously  to  solicit  of  you  the  manuscript  for 
publication. 

Allow  us  to  present  their  wishes  at  this  early  date,  and  to  express  the  hope, 
that  you  will  consent  to  the  arrangement. 


With  affectionate  respect, 
Yours,  &.C., 


Lucius  Bolles, 
Solomon  Peck, 
Howard  Malcou, 


Rev.  Baron  Stow. 


■*»  ■ 


1)  I S C 0 U R S E. 


ACTS  12:  24. 

THE  WORD  OF  GOD  GREW  AND  MULTIPLIED 

The  success  of  the  first  Christians  in  their  mis- 
sionary enterprises,  has  long  been  regarded  as  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  facts  in  history.  Their  be- 
ginning was  small  and  peculiarly  unpromising ; but 
in  less  time  than  has  elapsed  since  William  Carey 
commenced  in  Bengal,  they  had  preached  the  gospel 
and  organized  churches  throughout  all  Palestine, 
and  almost  all  Asia  Minor,  through  Macedonia, 
Greece,  the  islands  of  the  TEgean  sea,  and  along  the 
sea-coast  of  Africa,  and  passed  on  to  Rome,  the 
mistress  of  the  world.  In  a few  years  more,  they 
were  found  doing  their  Master’s  work,  and  rejoicing 
in  their  Master’s  blessing,  in  every  known  nation 
from  Cape  Comorin  to  Britain,  from  Scythia  to  the 
Pillars  of  Hercules.  A historian  of  the  second  cen- 
tury says  that  in  his  time,  Asia,  Africa  and  Europe 
“abounded  with  Christians.” 


6 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONtS. 


Yet  such  were  the  circumstances  under  wliich 
Christianity  .was  then  propagated,  that  upon  the 
ordinary  principles  of  human  calculation,  any  man, 
not  a fanatic,  would  have  pronounced  the  enterprise 
impracticable.  A candid  consideration  of  these  cir- 
cumstances has  wrought  conviction  in  favor  of  the 
divinity  of  our  religion  in  many  a mind  that  was 
utterly  impervious  to  every  other  species  of  evidence. 

Who  were  the  first  preachers  and  advocates  of  the 
Christian  religion.^  What  was  their  number.^  What 
their  origin,  their  standing,  their  education,  their 
personal  influence.^  Were  they  the  agents  that 
human  sagacity  would  have  selected  for  such  an 
undertaking  ? 

What  was  the  character  of  the  religion  which 
they  would  propagate.^  Was  it  such  as  the  world, 
Jewish  and  Pagan,  would  be  likely  to  welcome  w'ith 
grateful  enthusiasm  ? What  were  its  doctrines  ? 
What  its  precepts?  What  did  it  prohibit?  What 
require  ? 

What  was  the  state  of  the  world,  the  whole 
world,  to  which  they  were  commanded  to  preach 
the  gospel,  and  for  whose  subjugation  to  Christ  they 
were  jiledged  to  labor  even  unto  the  death?  Had 
Judaism  become  superannuated  and  decrepid,  so 
that  its  hold  of  the  children  of  Abraham  could  easily 
be  relaxed,  and  Christianity,  with  little  difficulty, 
be  substituted  in  its  place?  Was  Paganism  in  its 
dotage,  and  “ready  to  vanish  away?”  Did  the 
systems  of  philosojihy,  then  popular,  jncdisjiosi*  the 
mind  of  the  age  to  a promjit  reception  of  such  a 
system  as  that  ol  Jesus  of  Nazareth? 


EFFICIENCY  OF  TRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


7 


What  were  the  malignant  and  persevering  elTorts, 
not  only  to  obstruct  the  progress  of’  the  new  religion, 
but  to  suppress  and  exterminate  it  from  the  earth? 
So  far  did  one  emperor,  Diocletian,  proudly  imagine 
that  he  had  succeeded,  that  he  caused  a medal  to  bi^ 
struck  with  the  inscription.  Nomine  Cliristianorum 
deleto,  — the  Christian  name  obliterated. 

Yet  the  disciples  of  Christ,  nothing  daunted,  went 
forward  as  bidden  by  their  Lord,  and,  transcending 
all  barriers,  and  pressing  their  way  through  all  dif- 
ficulties, conveyed  the  life-giving  doctrine  to  millions 
of  the  perishing,  and  caused  earth  and  heaven  to 
exult  together  over  its  wide-spread  and  salutary 
triumphs.  This  w'e  have  called  a remarkable  fact. 
The  unbelieving  Gibbon  so  considered  it,  and,  w ith- 
out  venturing  to  question  its  reality,  exhausted  his 
rare  ingenuity  in  the  attempt  to  account  for  it  upon 
principles  that  should  exclude  all  recognition  of  the 
divine  original  of  the  system. 

There  is  another  remarkable  fact,  that  w'e  are 
sure  will  be  so  regarded  by  future  generations,  and 
that  will  be  no  less  perplexing  to  the  philosophic 
historian; — and  that  is.  The  slow  progress  of  the 
gospel  in  the  nineteenth  century.  The  Karen  in- 
quirer says  to  our  missionary,*  “ If  so  long  time  has 
elapsed  since  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  w hy  has  not 
this  good  news  reached  us  before?  Why  have  so 
many  generations  of  our  fathers  gone  down  to  hell 
for  want  of  it?’’  But  these  are  not  the  questions 


Journal  of  Rev.  .1.  H.  Vinton,  Bap.  Miss.  Mag.,  Vol.  xviii,  p.  8.3. 


8 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


which  we  would  now  propose.  We  ask  not,  How 
it  is  that,  after  eighteen  hundred  years,  so  much  of 
the  world  is  covered  with  pagan  darkness?  We  ask 
not.  How  it  has  happened  that  for  more  than  a 
thousand  years  so  large  a jiroportion  of  the  pagan 
world  has  been  suffered  to  remain  unvisited  by 
Christian  heralds?  We  leave  it  for  our  fathers,  now 
in  eternity,  to  answer  for  themselves  to  their  holy 
Judge.  We  simply  inquire.  How  is  it  that  now,  as 
the  church  professes  to  understand  her  obligation, 
she  does  not  feel  its  pressure  and  act  in  accordance 
with  its  dictates?  How  is  it,  that  with  her  present 
knowledge  of  the  heathen  world,  her  aggregate  of 
numbers,  her  intellectual  and  physical  resources,  her 
triumphs  are  so  comparatively  limited? 

Just  in  proportion  as  our  missionary  endeavors,  in 
character,  motive,  spirit,  resemble  those  of  the  prim- 
itive church,  they  are  un(|uestionably  as  effective. 
But  let  us  compare  our  circumstances  with  theirs, 
and  who  will  account  for  the  mighty  difference  be- 
tween the  results  of  their  missions  and  ours? 

They  had  no  better  truth,  nor  more  of  it  than  we 
have.  The  gospel  which  we  jireach  to  a sinful 
world  is  precisely  the  same  as  they  jireached.  It 
has  lost  none  of  its  adajitedness  to  man’s  condition, 
— none  of  its  jiower  to  regenerate  and  save. 

They  had  no  better  hearts  to  deal  with  than  we 
have.  It  does  not  ajipear  that  man  has  deteriorated, 
cither  in  intellect  or  morals,  so  as  to  render  our  task 
more  diflicult  than  theirs,  lie  was  then  totally  de- 
jiravi'd  ; he  is  only  that  now.  J'hey  did  not  find 


EKFICIENCY  OK  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


9 


the  heathen  more  accessible  or  more  susceptible  ol 
impression  than  we  find  them.  The  minds  which 
they  addressed,  like  those  which  we  address,  were 
preoccupied  by  opinions,  and  moulded  into  habits, 
all  directly  and  sternly  repugnant  to  the  spirit  of 
Christianity.  Every  thing  that  most  powerfully  in- 
fluences and  tyrannizes  over  the  human  soul,  — as 
superstition,  custom,  policy,  interest,  pride,  passion, 
law,  philosophy,  religion,  — was  decidedly  hostile  to 
the  genius  and  claims  of  the  gospel. 

'riie  divine  influence  that  accompanied  their  la- 
bors, and  without  which  even  they  would  have 
been  unsuccessful,  was  not  different  in  any  respect, 
excej)t  perhaps  in  amount,  from  that  with  whicli  we 
are  favored.  They  lived  under  the  dispensation  of 
the  Spirit.  ^V’^e  live  under  the  same  dispensation. 
If  the  Holy  Spirit  rendered  them  peculiarly  success- 
ful, it  was  not  an  act  of  arbitrary  sovereignty,  but 
an  equitable  adjustment,  proportioning  the  blessing 
to  their  measure  of  fidelity  and  devotedness.  Such 
were  the  character  and  extent  of  their  labors,  that 
he  could  consistently  show  them  special  favor.  In 
blessing  them,  therefore,  he  offered  no  premium  to 
indolence,  gave  no  countenance  to  antinomian  pre- 
sumption. When  we  shall  live  and  labor  as  they 
did,  w”fe  shall  find,  either  that  there  is  no  truth  in  the 
promise,  or  that  our  exertions  are  rendered  equally 
effectual  by  the  Spirit’s  energy. 

In  what  respect  did  the  ability  of  the  primitive 
church  surpass  ours?  Had  she  greater  wealth  or 
intelligence,  or  more  of  any  thing  which  we  reckon 
2 


10 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


under  the  denomination  of  resources.^  Was  her 
ministry  distinguished  by  extraordinary  talent,  or 
superior  intellectual  training?  A few,  we  admit, 
and  only  a few,  were  divinely  inspired,  — and  they 
especially  for  the  purpose  of  filling  up  the  canon  of 
Scripture;  but  who  can  show  that  their  inspiration 
gave  them  power  over  a single  heart,  or  added  a 
single  convert  to  the  church  of  Christ? 

All  the  external  advantages  are  decidedly  in  our 
favor.  We  have  knowledge  of  the  state  of  the  world 
which  they  had  not.  We  have  greater  facilities  of 
intercourse  both  by  land  and  water.  We  have  the 
printing-press,  a potent  instrument,  whose  powers, 
not  yet  half  developed,  shall  astonish  and  bless  the 
nations.  We  have  equally  with  them  the  force 
of  the  argument  from  miracles  and  prophecy,  and 
we  have  the  additional  argument  derived  from  the 
propagation  of  Christianity,  its  indestructiblencss 
either  by  internal  corruption  or  external  oppression, 
the  perpetuity  of  its  institutions,  the  preservation  of 
the  Scri])tures,  the  continued  fulfilment  of  prophecy, 
and  the  benign  influence  of  the  gosjiel  u])on  individ- 
ual, domestic,  and  national  welfare.  Nor  should 
we  forget  the  fact,  that  the  missionary  enterprise 
has  in  our  day  secured  to  itself  no  small  portion  of 
secular  respectability.  Multitudes,  who  have  no 
sympathy  with  its  nobler  aims,  are  disposiul  to  re- 
gard it  with  favor,  and  to  aid  it  forward,  merely  on 
account  of  its  indirect  results.  If  in  our  main  object, 
the  salvation  of  souls  from  sin  and  death,  they  see 


EKKICIUNCY  OF  IMIIMITIVE  MISSlOiN'S. 


I I 

no  point  of  attraction,  yet  in  the  subserviency  of 
missions  to  literature,  science,  commerce,  civiliza- 
tion, they  find  somethiiif^  that  is  congenial  to  their 
taste,  something  which  as  scholars,  philanthropists, 
merchants,  they  (-an  admire,  something  to  prom[)t 
them  to  be  liberal  to  a degree  that  ought  to  shame 
the  Christian  for  his  parsimony.  Foreign  missions 
have  actpiircd  a character  and  a position  in  the 
juihlic  mind,  to  which  in  the  days  of  the  apostles 
they  were  strangers. 

Yet  notwithstanding  circumstances  are  so  much 
in  our  favor,  they  made  advances  in  the  jiroduction 
of  efiect,  such  as  we  have  never  witnessed.  With- 
out the  world’s  favorite  instrumentality,  learning, 
eloquence,  wealth,  arms,  — nay,  with  all  these 
leagued  against  them,  and  in  the  face  of  them 
all,  the  primitive  church  expanded,  and  achieved 
triumph  after  triumph,  — all  the  triumphs  of  truth 
and  holiness.  All  the  apparatus  of  torture  and  death 
was  brought  out  and  arrayed  in  her  path  to  arrest 
her  progress,  but  heedless  of  its  terrors,  she  moved 
forward  to  the  consummation  of  her  lofty  purpose. 
Some  of  her  most  malignant  foes  became  her  devoted 
champions  and  even  martyrs,  and  every  day  new 
territories  were  added  to  her  growing  empire.  Per- 
secution often  kindled  her  fires,  and  with  her  blood 
she  as  often  extinguished  them.  Her  progress  from 
place  to  place  was  marked  by  the  dethronement  of 
idol  deities,  and  the  fall  of  idol  temples ; on  the  high 
places  of  idolatry  she  planted  her  banners  ; and  in 
all  lands,  kno\Mi  to  the  merchant,  the  traveller,  (he 


12 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


warrior,  the  trophies  of  her  power  were  multiplied. 
“ So  mightily  grew  the  word  of  God  and  prevailed.” 

The  question  recurs  : — How  shall  we  account  for 
this  difference  in  efficiency,  between  their  missions 
and  ours.^  The  suggestion  of  a few  considerations 
by  way  of  reply  may  not  be  unsuitable. 

I.  The  type  of  their  piety. 

The  piety  of  not  only  the  ministry,  but  of  the 
church  in  general,  was  missionary  piety.  Just  sup- 
pose that  the  great  majority  of  Christians  were  as 
spiritual,  as  dead  to  the  world,  as  active  for  God,  as 
we  require  our  missionaries  to  be,  and  as  some  of 
them  actually  are,  and  you  have  a tolerable  idea  of 
the  religious  character  of  the  early  church.  When 
believers  then  gave  themselves  to  Christ,  it  was  a 
bona  fide  transaction.  They  did  not  enter  his  service 
as  an  experiment,  or  on  probation,  but  uncondition- 
ally, unreservedly,  and  for  eternity.  They  gave 
up  all  for  him,  — they  consecrated  all  to  him.  In 
“ simplicity  and  godly  sincerity,”  with  a lively 
sense  of  his  worthiness,  and  of  the  legitimacy  of  his 
claims,  they  surrendered  themselves,  body  and  soul, 
to  him  as  their  projirietor  and  ruler,  as  well  as  Sa- 
viour and  friend.  Willing  to  be  his,  desirous  to  be 
his,  they  became  his  by  voluntary  covenant,  — “his 
own,”  in  every  possible  sense,  nominally,  really, 
and  for  ever. 

'riie  distinguishing  traits  of  their  Jiiety  were 
strotigly  developed,  and  obvious  to  all. 


BFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


13 


1.  Great  love.  On  no  part  of  the  Christian  char- 
acter does  the  New  Testament  so  fVequentl_y  and 
strenuously  insist,  as  on  tliis  — on  none  does  it  pass 
so  many  and  deserved  encomiums.  \V  hatever  else 
a man  might  have,  if  deficient  in  love,  he  was  re- 
garded as  defective  in  the  primary  and  essential 
element  of  evangelical  godliness.  They  understood 
that  “ love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law.” 

The  early  Christians  had  great  love  to  the  Saviour. 
They  remembered  the  thrice-repeated  and  searching 
interrogation,  proposed  under  the  most  impressive 
circumstances  on  the  shore  of  Tiberias,  “ Simon, 
son  of  .Jonas,  lovest  thou  7/tef  ” It  burnt  deep  into 
their  souls  the  conviction  that  love  to  him  must  be 
the  fundamental  element  of  their  character,  the  main- 
spring of  all  their  action.  Hence  we  find  them 
uniformly  and  studiously  cultivating  this  affection, 
that  so  they  may  never  be  lacking  in  the  impulsive 
power  appropriate  to  their  calling,  — that  so  they 
may  ever  with  sincerity  appeal  to  the  Searcher  of 
hearts,  “ Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things,  thou  know- 
est  that  we  love  thee.”  When  Dr.  Doddridge  entered 
the  dungeon  of  a prisoner,  with  a reprieve  which  he 
had  obtained  for  him,  the  poor  man  fell  down  at  his 
feet  and  exclaimed,  “ I will  be  yours ! Wherever 
you  go,  I am  yours  ! Sir,  every  drop  of  my  blood 
thanks  you,  for  you  have  had  mercy  upon  every  drop 
of  it ! ” Similar  were  the  feelings  of  the  first  Chris- 
tians towards  their  redeeming  Lord,  — similar  their 
protestations  of  gratitude,  attachment  and  allegiance. 
“ My  beloved  is  mine,  and  1 am  his.”  The  love  of 


14 


EI^FICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


Christ,  — both  his  love  to  them,  and  their  love  to 
him,  — the  latter  being  only  a reduplication  of  the 
former,  — constrained  them  to  live,  not  unto  them- 
selves, but  unto  him  who  died  for  them  and  rose 
again.  To  please  him  was  their  primary  object. 
To  please  him  they  cultivated  personal  holiness.  To 
please  him  they  labored  for  the  conversion  of  souls. 
To  please  him  they  urged  their  missionary  inroads 
into  remote  regions,  encountered  the  most  appalling 
dangers,  endured  the  severest  hardships,  and  faced 
death  in  its  fiercest  forms. 

This  love  uiujuestionably  exists  in  modern  Chris- 
tians in  a degree ; but,  alas  ! in  a too  diminished 
degree.  It  is  not  in  us,  as  it  was  in  them,  a burning 
passion,  a fire  giving  impulse  to  the  whole  machinery 
of  our  being.  If  it  were,  it  would  impel  us  onward 
to  similar  sacrifices,  labors,  conflicts,  victories. 

I'liey  had  great  love  to  one  another.  Brotherly 
love  is  seldom  seen  in  our  day  just  as  it  existed 
among  the  early  Christians.  With  them  it  was  a 
test  of  discipleship,  an  elementary  principle,  devoid 
of  which,  a man  could  not  obtain,  from  saint  or 
sinner,  from  angel  or  devil,  even  the  name  of  Chris- 
tian. Without  this  they  did  not  pretend  to  consider 
themselves  as  the  children  of  God.  “ We  know,” 
said  they,  “ that  we  have  passed  from  death. unto 
life,  because  we  love  the  brethren.”  The  absence 
of  brotherly  love  was  one  of  the  criterions  by  which 
antichrist  was  to  be  known.  Its  presence  was  to 
furnish  indisputable  proof  both  of  the  divine  mission 
of  llu'ir  Master  iind  of  their  attachment  to  his  eau.se. 


HFFICIKNCY  OF  I’KIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


16 


Jesus  prayed  that  his  disciples  might  all  be  one,  to 
the  end  that  the  world  might  believe  that  the  Father 
had  sent  him.  And  to  them  he  declared,  “ By  this 
shall  all  men  know  that  yo  are  my  disciples,  if  ye 
have  love  one  to  another.”  And  the  world,  as  they 
beheld  the  chain  of  fraternal  affection  rnnning  through 
all  hearts,  uniting  them  firmly  to  each  other,  and 
connecting  the  whole  inseparably  with  the  throne  of 
love,  felt  and  confessed  the  force  of  the  demonstra- 
tion. Their  brotherly  love,  which  was  really  a 
divine  instinct,  an  essential  jiroperty  of  their  new 
nature,  and  therefore  spontaneous  and  unmodified  by 
external  circumstances,  stood  forth  in  strong  contrast 
with  the  selfishness  of  the  world  around  them,  like 
the  verdure  of  paradise  set  in  the  desert,  and  drew 
forth  from  their  bitterest  enemies  involuntary  ex- 
pressions of  wonder.  The  unbelieving  historian, 
before  cited,  in  his  attempt  to  account  for  their 
astonishing  success  in  propagating  their  religion, 
alleges  as  one  of  the  most  powerful  causes,  their 
afi'ectionate  union.  Then  there  was  but  one  de- 
nomination of  Christians.*  “One  Lord,  one  faith, 
one  baptism.”  Consequently  there  were  no  clashing 
creeds,  no  sectarian  bickerings,  no  rival  interests, 
no  party  plottings  and  counterplottings,  no  wasteful 


* It  can  hardly  be  necessary  to  qualify  this  general  statement,  by 
the  admission  that  even  before  the  apostles  were  all  dead,  the  church 
was  vexed  with  false  teachers  anci^consequent  heresies.  These  were 
very  limited  in  their  extent,  and  never  affected  the  great  body  of  be- 
lievers. On  some  points  of  unrevealed  doctrine  there  were  diversi- 
ties of  opinion ; but,  in  the  language  of  Waddington,  “ their  variations 
were  without  schism,  and  their  differences  without  acrimony.” 


16 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


expenditure  of  time,  and  feeling,  and  moral  energy, 
in  attempts  to  maintain  and  fortify  party  positions. 
“ By  one  Spirit  ” they  were  “ all  baptized  into  one 
body,”  and  they  regarded  themselves,  and  were 
regarded  by  all  around  them,  as  members  of  one 
harmonious  and  devoted  brotherhood.  Christ  was 
the  centre  of  attraction,  around  which  they  rallied 
and  united,  and,  like  the  radii  of  a circle,  the  nearer 
they  drew  to  the  centre,  the  nearer  they  were  to 
each  other.  Assimilated  by  the  grace  of  God,  and 
fused  and  welded  by  the  fires  of  persecution,  their 
affinity  and  cohesion  rendered  them  the  admiration 
of  the  world  that  hated  them,  and  gave  them  a moral 
power  which  the  modern  church  does  not  possess, 
and  never  will  possess,  until  brotherly  love  shall  re- 
sume its  ancient  influence,  and  become,  as  it  then 
was,  a “ bond  of  perfectness,”  — until  “ the  multitude 
of  them  that  believe  ” shall  be  “ of  one  heart  and 
one  way,”  keeping  “ the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the 
bond  of  peace.”  O when  will  the  “ whole  family  ” 
of  Christ  become  one,  and  with  “ hearts  knit  to- 
gether in  love,”  discontinue  their  petty  controversies 
among  themselves,  and,  following  their  one  Leader, 
converge  and  direct  their  whole  energies  towards 
the  one  jioint,  the  salvation  of  the  human  soul  ? We 
may  sjieculate  as  we  please  about  the  incidental  ad- 
vantages of  our  division  into  sects  or  denominations, 
comjiaring  them  poetically  to  the  prismatic  hues  of 
the  rainbow,  and  from  the  puljiit  and  the  [ilatform 
shouting  in  exiacy,  F,  plunhus  unum But  tlu; 
practical  man  will  tell  us  that  if  we  would  dissolve 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


17 


the  intractable  substances  of  earth,  we  must  have 
the  colorless  ray  of  virgin  light. 

The  religion  of  the  first  Christians  was  essentially 
philanthropic.  They  had  great  love  to  man.  As 
the  creature  of  God,  as  a fellow-being,  as  a sinner 
lost  and  helpless,  as  the  one  for  whom  their  Master 
died,  as  bound  with  them  to  a common  destiny,  they 
loved  him  and  sought  his  good.  O how  different 
was  their  philanthropy  from  that  of  the  atheistic 
philosophers,  with  which,  at  the  close  of  the  last 
century,  a portion  of  the  eastern  hemisphere  was 
deeply  cursed.  They  talked  of  love,  universal, 
disinterested  love.  But  O,  such  love!  Who  ever 
beheld  its  parallel.^  Love  to  man,  but  not  men; 
love  to*  every  body  in  general,  but  to  nobody  in 
particular!  The  love  of  the  early  Christians  com- 
prehended every  individual  of  their  race.  They 
loved  mankind  not  only  as  a whole,  but  in  detail ; 
and  in  order  to  do  good  to  the  whole,  they  sought  the 
improvement  of  the  individuals.  If  fanaticism  be, 
as  defined  by  an  able  writer,*  “ Enthusiasm  inflamed 
by  hatred,”  they,  admitting  them  to  be  enthusiasts, 
were  certainly  not  fanatics.  'Militant  and  aggressive 
as  were  their  movements,  not  an  enemy,  however 
embittered  and  prejudiced,  could  charge  them  with 
malignant  motives.  Their  enthusiasm  was  inflamed 
by  love,  and  “ Love  worketh  no  ill  to  his  neighbor.” 
Tender  and  affectionate,  as  if  they  had  just  come 
from  leaning  on  the  bosom  of  incarnate  compassion, 
their  words  melted  like  honey  on  the  hearts  of  the 

* Isaac  Taylor. 

3 


18 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


people,  and  by  an  invisible,  irresistible  influence, 
won  them  over  from  hostility  to  friendship.  O yes, 
brethren,  love,  love,  was  one  of  the  secrets  of  their 
power.  Love  of  souls  was  with  them  both  a prin- 
ciple and  a passion,  and,  under  its  exhaustless  im- 
pulse, what  did  they  not  endure,  sacrifice,  accomplish  ! 

2.  Vigorous  faith.  Nothing  so  debilitates  a moral 
being,  as  unbelief.  Nothing  so  girds  him  with 
strength,  and  renders  him  energetic  and  efficient,  as 
intelligent  confidence. 

The  primitive  Christians  had  strong  faith  in  the 
inspired  account  of  man’s  condition  and  destiny. 
Confiding  in  revealed  truth,  they  looked  on  him  as 
deeply  depraved,  guilty,  condemned,  and,  unless 
saved  by  the  gospel,  sure  to  perish  for  ever.  This 
they  believed  in  respect  to  the  heathen  as  well  as 
the  Jews.  Do  we  believe  it  as  they  did  ? “ If  one 

died  for  all,” — thus  they  reasoned,  — “ then  were  all 
dead.”  How  appalling  the  truth,  — “ all  dead  ! ” — 
all  exposed  to  hell!  They  believed  it,  — they  acted 
as  if  they  believed  it.  They  went  forth  and  labored 
“ unto  the  end,”  under  the  full  persuasion  that  every 
unbeliever  would  be  damned.  With  such  faith,  how 
could  they  be  inactive  ? And  is  not  our  comparative 
inertness  attributable  to  our  unbelief.^  “ Lord,  in- 
crease our  faith  ! ” 

They  had  faith  in  the  adaptedness  of  the  gospel 
to  the  necessities  of  a depraved  and  perishing  world. 
They  believed  what  they  said,  that  the  gospel  is 
“ the  power  of  Cod  unto  salvation,  to  every  one  that 


EKFIClENUy  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


19 


holievetli,”  — that  it  could  remove  from  the  penitent 
sinner,  not  only  the  external  condemnation,  hut  the 
inward  delilement,  — not  only  deliver  him  from  the 
curse  of  the  violated  law,  but  bleach  his  polluted 
nature  as  white  as  heaven.  They  had  faith  in  their 
own  message,  and  none  who  heard  them  and  saw 
the  correspondence  of  their  lives  with  the  testimony 
of  their  lips,  could  gainsay  their  not  immodest  dec- 
laration, “ We  believe,  and  therefore  speak.”  Can 
we,  with  no  misgiving  of  conscience,  with  no  fear 
of  contradiction,  adopt  their  language  F Have  we  a 
confidence  like  theirs  in  the  suitableness  and  efficacy 
of  the  gospel  F Do  we  believe  that  it  is  the  thing, 
and  the  only  thing  that  can  save  the  heathen  from 
eternal  hell  F 

They  had  faith  in  the  rectitude  and  utility  of  their 
enterprise.  They  did  not  consider  their  time, 
strength,  suffering,  blood,  as  expended  in  a crusade 
uncalled  for,  undignified,  misdirected.  No,  no. 
They  had  heard  from  the  lips  of  their  Master,  the 
remarkable  words,  “ As  the  Father  hath  sent  me, 
even  so  send  I you,”  and  they  had  thence  learned 
that  their  mission  was  identical  with  his,  a continu- 
ation of  the  one  grand  design,  — the  salvation  of  “a 
multitude  which  no  man  could  number.”  They  re- 
garded the  cause  as  his,  devised  by  his  love,  sustained 
by  his  power,  and  sure  to  prevail.  Hence,  in  the 
depths  of  their  dungeons,  with  the  chains  of  a despot 
about  them,  they  could  exultingly  say,  “ The  word 
of  God  is  not  bound,”  and  could  even  rejoice  in  the 
things  which  happened  unto  them,  because  they 


20 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


contributed  to  “ the  furtherance  of  the  gospel.”  If 
they  were  mortal,  their  enterprise  was  not.  They 
might  be  like  the'  foam  of  the  billows  which  the 
tempests  easily  scatter  ; but  their  cause,  resembling 
the  eternal  flow  of  ocean,  should  roll  its  fulness  upon 
the  most  distant  shores. 

They  believed  that  the  work  assigned  them,  — the 
preaching  of  the  gospel  to  every  creature, — could  be 
done.  Consequently  they  were  the  people  to  do  it. 
A doubt  as  to  its  practicability  would  have  unfitted 
them  for  the  service.  Brethren,  do  modern  Chris- 
tians,— do  we  believe,  that  the  heathen  world  can  be 
converted  to  God  ? Do  we  believe  that  with  proper 
effort  the  earth  can  be  “ filled  with  the  knowledge 
of  the  Lord,”  and  the  kingdom  of  Christ  be  made 
to  outstretch  its  borders,  until  it  shall  encompass 
“ all  nations  ? ” “ If  thou  canst  believe,  all  things 

are  possible  to  him  that  believeth.” 

They  had  the  Saviour’s  promise  to  be  with  them 
and  defend  them,  and  give  them  success.  His  own 
words,  “ All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and 
in  earth,”  were  engraven  in  the  metal  of  their  souls, 
and  they  felt  that  he  was  able,  with  “ all  po^^  cr,” 
to  make  his  promise  good.  How  could  they  hesitate 
or  falter  ? “ Lo,  I am  with  you,”  was  enough  to 

brace  up  their  courage,  and  retain  it  firmly  at  the 
desirable  jioint.  Hence  timidity  was  not  even  an 
accident  of  their  character. 

Such,  and  more  than  such  was  their  i'ailh,  and 
under  its  invigorating  and  impulsive  influence  they 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


21 


went  forward,  and  quit  themselves  like  men,  Chris- 
tian men.  Brethren,  is  there  a large  amount  of  this 
faith  in  the  existing  church  ? Should  the  Son  of  Man 
come,  how  much  of  it  would  he  find  on  the  earth  ? 

3.  Rigid  self-denial.  When  they  gave  them- 
selves to  Christ,  they  counted  all  things  loss  for  him 
and  his  salvation  ; and  the  surrender  was  an  honest, 
whole-hearted  transaction,  never  to  be  reconsidered, 
never  to  be  regretted. 

Hence,  from  the  hour  of  their  conversion,  they 
made  little  account  of  property.  If  it  was  con- 
fiscated by  government,  or  destroyed  by  the  mob, 
they  “ took  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  their  goods,” 
assured  that  in  heaven  they  had  a better,  an  incor- 
ruptible inheritance.  When  the  cause  rci|uired, 
how  ready  were  they  to  lay  all  at  the  feet  of  the 
Missionaries.  Generally  they  were  poor.  A rich 
Christian ! why,  such  a thing  was  hardly  known. 
However  it  may  be  now,  it  was  then,  “ easier  for  a 
camel  to  go  through  a needle’s  eye  than  for  a rich 
man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.”  And  if, 
as  an  act  of  special  sovereignty,  a man  of  wealth  was 
converted,  he  seldom  retained  his  riches  for  a long 
period ; for  such  was  his  sympathy  for  the  despoiled 
and  suffering  brotherhood,  and  such  his  solicitude  for 
the  conversion  of  the  perishing,  that  his  funds  were 
poured  forth  as  water.  Yet  poor  as  were  the  first 
Christians,  they  were  liberal  to  a degree  seldom 
sur])assed.  We  from  our  much  give  little.  They 
from  their  little  gave  much.  Their  “deep  poverty 


22  EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 

abounded  unto  the  riches  of  their  liberality.”  Bap- 
tized covetousness  was  the  product  of  a later  age. 

Reputation  was  with  them  a matter  of  trivial  con- 
sequence. We  have  often  so  much  character  to 
obtain,  or  to  preserve,  that  we  can  spare  neither 
time  nor  resources  for  the  great  work  of  promoting 
Christ’s  glory.  But  the  early  Christians,  bishops 
and  all,  while  they  were  careful  to  maintain  con- 
sciences void  of  offence  towards  God  and  man,  were 
not  very  sensitively  concerned  whether  they  stood 
high  or  low  in  the  world’s  estimation.  It  therefore 
cost  them  very  little  to  keep  up  a good  reputation. 
That  they  left  where  they  left  their  life,  “ hid  with 
Christ  in  God.” 

They  consulted  not  with  flesh  and  blood,  but  sac- 
rificed personal  ease,  and  submitted  to  hardships  and 
trials  of  which  we  know  comparatively — most  of  us 
absolutely  nothing.  They  were  “ men  that  hazarded 
their  lives  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.”  Yes, 
for  their  religion  they  were  ready  to  die,  and  for  it 
they  did  die  by  hecatombs,  and  by  dying  for  it  they 
often  accomjilished  more  than  by  living  and  laboring 
for  it.  Hence  the  triumphant  remark  of  Tertullian 
had  quite  as  much  truth  as  poetry:  — “The  more 
you  mow  us  down,  the  thicker  we  rise;  the  Christian 
blood  you  spill  is  like  the  seed  you  sow ; it  springs 
from  the  earth  and  fructifies  the  more.” 

4.  Simple  obedience.  They  understood  Christ  to 
be  in  earnest,  when,  standing  but  one  step  from  the 
throne  of  the  universe,  lie  said,  “Go  ye  into  all  the 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


23 


world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.”  It 
was  not  therefore  with  them  a matter  to  be  considered 
whether  they  should  go  or  not  go.  The  command 
was  positive  and  peremptory,  and  how  could  they 
escape  from  the  obligation  ? With  us,  to  stay  is  the 
rule,  to  go  is  the  excejition.  With  them,  to  go  is 
the  rule,  to  stay  is  the  exception.*  Wonder  not 
that  they  accomplished  so  much.  Wonder  not  that 
we  accomplish  so  little.  They  did  not  wait  in- 
dolently for  openings,  hut  went  forth,  either  to  find 
them  or  to  make  them.  If  defeated  at  one  point, 
instead  of  returning  to  Jerusalem  in  despondency, 
and  writing  a book  on  the  impracticability  of  Chris- 
tian missions,  they  proceeded  to  another  and  perhaps 
more  distant  field,  and  then  to  another,  and  still 
another,  until  they  had  gone  over  the  appointed  ter- 
ritory. Their  piety  was  enterprising;  the  spirit 
of  obedience  made  it  such. 

Have  we  this  spirit  of  obedience  to  the  last  com- 
mand of  the  Lord  Jesus  ? Let  us  not  evade  the 
question,  but  answer  it.  Why  then  is  it  necessary 
for  so  much  to  be  said  and  done,  by  the  pulpit  and 
the  press,  by  corresponding  secretaries  and  travelling 
agents,  to  obtain  our  scanty  supply  of  missionaries, 
and  gather  from  a half  million  of  Baptists,  at  the  rate 

* “ It  is  not,  as  is  commonly  done,  to  be  taken  for  granted,  by  those 
who  come  into  the  ministry,  that  they  are  to  remain  in  tlieir  own 
Christian  land,  unless  a case  of  duty  can  be  made  out  for  them  to 
go  to  some  unevangelized  peojile:  but  it  is  to  he  taken  for  granted, 
that  they  are  to  he  employed  in  conveying  the  gospel  to  some  desti- 
tute people,  unless  a case  of  duty  can  he  made  out  for  them  to  re- 
main in  their  own  already  Christian  country.”  — Dr.  Jf^lsner. 


24 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


of  a shilling  each,  enough  to  send  these  few  mission- 
aries to  six  hundred  millions  of  perishing  heathen  ! 
O Jesus,  is  this  thy  church  ? Are  these  the  people 
whom  thou  didst  redeem  by  thy  blood,  and  who 
with  the  first  throbbings  of  the  new  heart  have  sev- 
erally inquired,  “Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do  ? ” When  Ko  Chet-thing,  the  Karen  convert,  was 
in  this  country,  he  was  urged  on  a certain  occasion 
to  address  a congregation  in  respect  to  their  duty  to 
send  out  and  support  more  missionaries.  After  a 
moment  of  downcast  thoughtfulness,  he  asked  with 
evident  emotion,  “ Has  not  Jesus  Christ  told  them 
to  do  it  ? ” “ O yes,”  was  the  reply,  “ but  we  wish 

you  to  remind  them  of  their  duty.”  “ O no,”  said 
the  Karen,  “ if  they  will  not  obey  Jesus  Christ,  they 
will  not  obey  me.”  He  in  his  simplicity  considered 
the  command  of  the  Master  as  paramount  and  all- 
sufficient. 

It  has  been  often  said  that  in  the  hearts  of  our 
brethren  there  are  fountains  of  benevolence.  Ice- 
bound, it  is  acknowledged  they  may  be,  and  pent  in 
the  rocks  of  ignorance  and  prejudice  ; yet  if  but  a 
Moses  go  to  them,  and  smite  those  rocks,  tlie  streams 
of  charity,  it  is  said,  will  flow  forth  to  gladden  all 
the  desert.  Indeed  ! And  had  the  primitive  Chris- 
tians such  Morel)  hearts,  yielding  nothing  to  the  cause 
of  God,  nothing  to  the  claims  of  a suffering,  dying 
world,  until  smitten  by  foreign  force  ? Was  the 
missionary  enterprise  in  their  day,  a crouching  men- 
dicant, wandering  among  the  churches,  soliciting 
with  a jiaupcr’s  importunity  the  shreds  and  parings 


EFFICIENCY  OF  IMUMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


25 


ol’  liberal  Incomes,  and  then  proclalminj;;  at  every 
corner  the  name  and  residence  of  every  donor  of  a 
half  shekel,  lest,  forsooth,  unless  his  reluctantly  be- 
stowed contribution  should  be  loudly  trumpeted,  he 
might  cease  to  care  for  the  will  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  lose  his  interest  in  the  salvation  of  a world,  and 
the  missionary  treasury  feel  no  more  of  the  overflow- 
ings of  his  benevolence  ? Tell  me,  men,  brethren 
and  fathers,  were  such  the  Christians  of  the  age  of 
Barnabas,  and  Philemon,  and  Polycarp? 

5.  Fervent  prayer.  It  has  been  remarked  respect- 
ing a modern  preacher,  whose  labors  while  living, 
were  eminently  bles.scd  in  the  conversion  of  his 
hearers,  and  who,  “ being  dead,  yet  speaketh,”  that 
the  secret  of  his  success  lav  in  his  devotional  habits. 
He  dwelt  on  the  sides  of  eternity,  and  carried  with 
him  into  his  pulpit,  and  into  all  his  intercourse  with 
his  people,  the  very  atmosphere  that  circulates  around 
the  throne.  Hence  a member  of  his  congregation 
once  declared,  — “When  our  pastor  prays,  it  is  right 
into  the  heart  of  God.  When  he  preaches,  it  is 
right  into  the  heart  of  the  sinner.”  This  descrip- 
tion, true  perhaps  of  a few  moderns,  is  truer  still  of 
the  great  body  of  the  ancient  preachers.  They  had 
peculiar  access  to  the  hearts  of  men,  because  they  had 
peculiar  access  to  the  ear  and  heart  of  God.  AVith 
him  and  the  glories  around  him  they  were  familiar, 
and  ever  as  they  came  forth  from  his  presence,  they 
brought  to  the  people,  fresh  from  the  tree  of  life,  the 
leaves  that  are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations, — 
4 


26 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


sparkling  from  the  river  of  life,  the  waters  “ clear  as 
crystal,”  that  purify  the  unholy,  and  refresh  the 
way-worn  and  weary. 

Another  pastor,  whose  success  was  proverbially 
great,  when  asked  how  it  happened  that  under  his 
ministry  “ the  word  of  God  ” so  “ grew  and  multi- 
jilied,”  returned  the  signilicant  answer,  “ I have  a 
praying  church.”  The  early  church  was  eminently 
a praying  church.  The  sin  of  indevotion  could  not 
be  laid  to  her  charge.  The  oft-repeated  and  unan- 
imous request  of  the  apostles,  “ Pray  for  us,”  “ Pray 
for  us  that  the  word  of  the  Lord  may  have  free 
course  and  be  glorified,”  was  never  made  in  vain. 
Indeed,  the  request  scarcely  needed  to  be  made. 
The  Christians  of  those  days  waited  not  for  a sjieci- 
fied  season,  but  at  all  times  and  every  where  they 
remembered  before  God  the  cause  of  missions,  and 
the  self-denying  missionary  laborers.  In  tlie  closet, 
in  the  family,  in  the  church,  the  burden  of  their 
prayer  was,  “ Thy  kingdom  come.”  Every  prayer- 
meeting was  a concert  of  jirayer  for  the  universal 
spread  of  the  gospel  of  Christ.  And  theirs  were 
the  effectual,  fervent  prayers  that  avail  much.  They 
knew  how  to  touch  that  delicate  chain  which 
Jesus  has  passed  over  the  throne,  and  by  which  the 
faintest  spark  of  holy  desire  may  be  easily  trans- 
mitted ; and  through  it  they  sent  a continual  stream 
of  invisible  but  jiowerful  influence  away  into  the 
deepest  recesses  of  heathenism. 

Such,  in  five  of  its  aspects,  was  the  tyjie  of  their 
piety.  Perceive  we  not  good  reasons  why  they 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


27 


were  so  amazingly  successful  in  propagating  the 
gospel  of  Christ.^  And  see  we  not,  by  comparison, 
satisfactory  reasons  why  the  gospel  in  our  hands  is 
so  limited  in  its  efficiency  ? 

Another  fact  which  gave  a peculiarity  to  the  mis- 
sions of  the  primitive  church,  and  doubtless  conduced 
in  large  measure  to  their  success,  deserves  to  be 
considered. 

II.  Their  plan  of  action. 

If  indeed  that  can  be  called  plan  which  indicates 
no  forecast,  includes  nothing  of  method,  proceeds 
from  no  concert,  and  betrays  the  entire  absence  of 
all  worldly  wisdom.  Yet  in  all  their  operations 
there  were  certain  elements  that  exhibit,  if  not 
human  sagacity,  the  supervision  of  a master  mind 
that  understands  human  nature,  and  knows  how  to 
adapt  the  means  to  the  end. 

1.  Unity  of  object.  They  considered  that  it  was 
their  calling,  their  very  business  as  Christians,  to 
propagate  the  religion  that  they  loved.  Hence 
every  one  felt  it  incumbent  on  him,  wTether  others 
joined  him  or  not,  to  do  whatever  he  could  for  the 
object.  “ I cannot  speak  for  Christ,”  said  a martyr 
on  his  way  to  the  flames,  “but  I can  die  for  him.” 
That  was  the  pervading  spirit.  “ If  I cannot  do 
every  thing,  I can  do  something.  ‘ This  one  thing 
I do I labor,  ‘ according  to  the  ability  that  God 
giveth,’  for  the  conversion  of  the  world.”  This  was 


28 


EFFICIExNCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS 


the  end  they  contemplated  with  unwavering  eye ; 
this  the  point  toward  which  they  pressed  with  un- 
faltering movement.  To  this  end  they  devoted 
their  thinking,  feeling,  acting,  praying.  For  this 
they  earned,  for  this  they  gave  their  money,  and 
ever  found  it,  as  you  may  find  it  to-night,  “ more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.”  For  this  they 
toiled,  and  suffered,  and  counted  not  their  lives  dear 
unto  themselves.  O they  were  Christians  worthy 
of  the  name.  Like  their  Master,  they  had  one  thing 
to  do,  and  how  were  they  straitened  until  it  was 
accomplished ! 

What  was  the  master  passion  of  the  primitive 
church  ? What  but  a burning  desire  for  the  salva- 
tion of  the  guilty  and  the  perishing  of  their  race  ? 
Hence,  having  one  object,  their  feeling  and  action 
were  intense,  and  they  moved  onward  with  a mo- 
mentum which  the  nature  of  mind  forbade  to  be 
more,  which  the  principles  that  actuated  them  for- 
bade to  be  less.  We  occasionally  see  an  individual 
of  our  own  circle,  cherishing  the  same  high  purpose, 
living  as  if  he  had  one,  only  one  object,  — the  glory 
of  God  in  the  salvation  of  souls.  But  the  instances 
are  rare,  — rare  as  light-houses  on  the  North-West 
Coast.  Our  sympathies  and  energies  are  distributed 
among  a variety  of  objects.  Our  eye  is  not  single, 
— our  heart  is  divided.  Undertaking  too  many 
things,  our  resources  are  dissipated,  and  we  do 
nothing  effectively.  Our  life  is  but  a sjian,  and 
our  ability  is  finite  ; let  us  endeavor  to  do  one  thing, 
and  do  it  well. 


ErFlClE*\CV  OF  I’lUMlTlVE  MISSIONS. 


29 


2.  Simplicity  of  means.  It  is  an  assumption  of 
modern  ^^isdom,  that  the  gospel  cannot  be  made 
ell'ectual  among  the  heathen,  unless  civilization  pre- 
cede and  prepare  the  way.  “ Send  first  the  school- 
master, and  the  mechanic,  and  the  agriculturist ; 
afterwards  the  missionary.”  This  counsel  we  hear 
not  only  from  the  world,  but  we  regret  to  say  from 
too  many  of  the  church.  But  besides  betraying  a 
secret  infidelity  respecting  the  real  efficacy  of  the 
gospel,  it  is  a virtual  impeachment  of  the  wisdom 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  arranged  an  order 
of  things  entirely  the  reverse. 

Thus  we  have  been  confidently  assured,  as  if  it 
were  a settled  axiom,  that  the  gospel  cannot  advance 
at  home,  and  that  we  must  expect  no  more  revivals 
of  religion  in  the  south  or  the  north,  in  the  west 
or  the  east,  until  certain  evils  are  removed,  certain 
dominant  vices  suppressed.  Moral  reform,  it  is  said, 
must  precede  the  triumphs  of  the  cross.  And  by 
these  specious  theories,  have  thousands  of  the  people 
of  God  been  unhappily  deluded,  and,  leaving  their 
appropriate  work  of  preaching  the  gospel  and  dis- 
tributing the  Bible,  they  have  seized  the  pickaxe 
and  gone  to  beating  down  the  obstacles  which  they 
have  learned  to  think  the  Christian  religion  can 
neither  remove  nor  transcend.  Sadly  for  themselves 
and  for  the  world,  do  they  forget  that  “ the  weapons 
of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty  through 
God  to  the  pulling  down  of  strong  holds ; casting 
down  imaginations  and  every  high  thing  that  exalteth 
itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God,  and  bringing  into 
captivity  every  thought  to  the  obedience  of  Christ.” 


30 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


The  primitive  Christians  acted  on  the  principle 
that  the  gospel  is  the  grand  pioneer,  fitted  above  all 
else  to  make  crooked  things  straight,  and  rough 
places  plain.  If  fatigue  duty  was  to  be  performed, 
in  order  to  open  a way  for  the  easy  progress  of  the 
King  of  Zion,  they  desired  no  better  instruments 
than  the  truths  of  his  own  glorious  gospel.  They 
understood  that  moral  reform  proceeds  best  in  the 
train  of  Christ  and  his  cross,  and  hence,  for  the  re- 
generation of  a degraded  and  miserable  world,  they 
used  no  other  instrumentality.  They,  in  their  sim- 
plicity, regarded  the  gospel  as  the  divinely  appointed 
catholicon, — the  one  efficacious  remedy  of  all  moral 
evils.  They  supposed  that  if  individuals  or  com- 
munities could  be  brought  completely  under  its 
influence,  they  would  renounce  all  sin,  and  cultivate 
all  righteousness.  Brethren,  if  the  gospel  does  not 
rectify  what  is  wrong  in  man,  can  you  inform  us  of 
any  system  of  truth  or  of  agencies  that  will  do  it  f 
You  cannot  predispose  men’s  hearts  to  welcome  the 
truth  of  God  by  any  external  means  whatever,  — not 
even  by  the  potent  influence  of  grammars  and  lexi- 
cons, globes  and  orreries,  spelling-books  and  news- 
papers, spinning  Jennies  and  steam  engines.  But 
the  simple  story  of  the  cross  does  execution  in  all 
])laccs,  — in  the  German  university  and  the  North- 
umberland colliery,  in  the  Louisiana  cotton-field  and 
the  Lowell  factory,  in  the  Putawatomy  wigwam 
and  the  Karen  jungle.  And  when  sinners  are  once 
converted  by  the  grace  of  God,  then  they  begin  to 
estimate  rightly  the  importance  of  their  being;  then 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


31 


they  recognise  their  relations  to  Jehovah  and  to  one 
another,  and  the  work  of  improvement  may  proceed 
successfully,  for  it  has  a basis  and  an  object.  “ Seek 
first  the  kingdom  of  God,”  and  all  these  minor 
results  shall  be  superadded. 

3.  Judicious  application  of  their  means.  You 
may  cool  water  downwards,  but  you  must  heat  it 
upwards.  So  with  society  ; it  deteriorates  down- 
wards and  improves  upwards.  If  the  ujiper  classes 
become  vicious,  they  descend ; if  the  lower  become 
virtuous,  they  rise.  This  fact  was  manifestly  recog- 
nised by  Christ  and  his  apostles,  for  they  directed 
their  attention  chiefly  to  the  lower  strata  of  the  social 
mass.  Had  they  commenced  with  the  upper,  they 
would  doubtless  have  succeeded  with  a single  stra- 
tum, but  all  beneath  would  have  remained  untouched 
by  gracious  influences.  But  by  beginning  with  the 
lo^^'er,  they  acted  wisely,  as  he  acts  wisely  who  kin- 
dles the  fire  beneath  a fluid  instead  of  above  it. 
They  wrought  upwards,  and  the  results  amazed  even 
themselves.  We  reverse  the  order,  and  work  down- 
wards, and  then  wonder  that  the  effects  are  so  lim- 
ited. Let  us  conform  to  the  simple  order  of  nature, 
as  well  as  to  primitive  example,  and  both  at  home 
and  abroad,  preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor, 
and  we  shall  soon  rejoice  in  enlarged  success. 

They  did  not,  like  us,  expend  a large  proportion 
of  their  resources  upon  mere  machinery.  They  used 
but  little  of  it,  and  the  plan  they  adopted  required 
but  little.  In  rearing  the  temple  of  the  Lord,  we 


32 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


lay  out  largely  upon  the  scaffolding,  what  they  de- 
voted to  the  edifice.  We  pay  great  attention  to 
modes  of  usefulness ; they,  willing  to  do  good  in  the 
way  prescribed  by  their  Master,  were  intent  solely 
upon  the  usefulness.  We  engage  freely  in  matters 
remotely  connected  with  our  great,  our  appointed 
business  ; they  “ let  the  dead  bury  their  dead,”  and 
went  every  where  preaching  that  men  should  repent 
and  turn  to  God.  We  devote  weeks  and  months  to 
the  glorious  privilege  of  “ free  discussion  ; ” they 
allowed  the  potsherds  to  strive,  and  improved  their 
time  in  preaching  the  gospel  to  the  destitute.  How 
long  is  it  since  an  ecclesiastical  body  in  a single  ses- 
sion, squandered  seventeen  years  of  ministerial  time 
in  the  discussion  of  points  very  slightly  associated 
with  the  work  assigned  them  by  the  Head  of  the 
church  ? As  the  result  of  the  whole,  has  there  been, 
or  is  there  likely  to  be  a single  soul  converted  ? 
Alas ! results  of  a very  different  character  may  he 
apprehended,  results  over  which  demons  will  exult, 
and  seraphim  weep. 

During  the  next  three  weeks  this  great  city  will 
be  thronged  with  the  servants  of  Christ,  come  uj) 
from  the  face  of  the  whole  land,  like  the  heads  of 
the  tribes  to  Zion.  Are  they  coming  here  to  jireach 
tlie  “ everlasting  gospel  ? ” To  do  good  to  souls  ? 
Will  they  hum  with  irrepressible  desire  for  the  con- 
version of  the  guilty  thousands  and  hundreds  of 
thousands  who  crowd  the  broadway  to  hell  We 
come  here  to  consult  about  sending  the  gospel  to  the 
distant  heathen,  while  around  us,  within  a circle  of 


EFFICIENCY  OF  1‘RIMITIVE  .MISSIONS. 


.33 


two  miles  radius,  are  a quarter  of'  a million  human 
beings  as  much  without  hope  as  any  pagans  on  earth, 
and  for  whom  it  shall  be  less  tolerable  in  the  Judg- 
ment than  for  Sodom  and  Gomorrah ! How  long 
ought  we  to  sit  here  debating  a point  of  order,  dis- 
cussing an  amendment  to  a resolution,  adjusting  the 
phraseology  of  a report,  and  passing  votes  of  thanks 
to  each  other  for  services  which  Christ  views  as  cul- 
pably imperfect  ? O brethren,  if  Paul  and  James 
were  here,  what  would  they  do  F 

4.  Personal  effort.  The  primitive  Christian  re- 
garded himself  as  a centre  from  which  the  voice  of 
truth  was  to  go  forth  over  the  whole  circle  of  his  in- 
fluence. Every  individual  added  to  the  church  con- 
sidered himself  as  an  agent  for  propagating  the  news 
of  salvation  to  his  neighbors,  who  were  in  turn  to 
communicate  it  to  others,  and  they  to  others  beyond 
them,  and  thus  onward,  till  a chain  of  living  voices 
should  have  been  carried  around  the  globe,  and  earth 
from  the  equator  to  the  poles  made  vocal  with  the 
cry  of  them  whose  feet  are  beautiful  upon  the  moun- 
tains, who  bring  glad  tidings,  and  publish  peace. 
Cherishing  a conviction  of  individual  responsibility, 
they  were  not  content  to  do  good  merely  by  proxy. 
Their  piety,  in  all  its  aspects,  was  essentially  mis- 
sionary, and  each  member  felt  himself  to  be  conse- 
crated, by  his  very  profession,  to  the  great  work  of 
evangelizing  the  world.  When,  therefore,  a man 
was  converted,  he  was  immediately  found  moving 
among  the  impenitent,  persuading  them  to  flee  from 
5 


34 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


the  wrath  to  come.  And  this  he  did,  not  more  from 
a desire  for  the  salvation  of  souls,  than  from  love  to 
the  Saviour,  and  a conviction  that  it  was  his  appro- 
priate business, — an  essential  part  of  his  “ high 
calling.”  In  the  aggressive  movements  of  the  “ sac- 
ramental host,”  he  considered  himself  as  drawn  to 
serve,  and  he  neither  sought  nor  desired  exemption. 
In  the  great  cause  at  issue  between  God  and  man, 
he  felt  that  he  was  subpcenaed  as  a witness  for  his 
Sovereign,  and  when  his  testimony  was  wanted,  he 
was  never  among  the  missing. 

The  churches  were  then  so  many  missionary 
societies.  Each  congregation  of  Christians,  duly 
organized  according  to  the  laws  of  Christ,  became 
first  a focus  into  which  the  sanctified  excellence  of 
earth  might  be  collected,  and  then  a centre  from 
which  the  light  of  truth  and  holiness  might  radiate 
in  all  directions.  Hence  the  seven  churches  of  Asia 
were  represented  as  “ seven  golden  candlesticks.” 
Every  church,  “ holding  forth  the  word  of  life,”  was 
the  pharos  of  a benighted  world,  flinging  a hallowed 
radiance  far  over  the  stormy  waters. 

Missionary  was  then  the  highest  style  of  ministe- 
rial character.  The  jiriucipal  men,  the  most  cajiable 
and  influential,  — the  “sons  of  consolation,”  and 
the  “ sons  of  thunder,”  not  satisfied  with  remaining 
at  home,  and  sending  men  of  inferior  powers  and 
endowments,  went  themselves  to  the  work,  and 
with  their  own  lips  related  the  story  of  Calvary, 
and  bared  their  own  heads  to  the  tempests  of 
persecution. 


EFFICIENCY  OF  I'KIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


35 


It  may  well  he  questioned  whether  the  committee 
ot  the  English  Baptist  ^Mission  did  not  perpetrate  a 
grievous  mistake  when  they  refused  to  send  to  India 
that  eminent  man  of  God,  the  seraphic  Pearce ; and 
whether  the  London  Society  did  not  err  exceedingly 
when  they  declined  the  olTer  of  Dr.  Reed  to  proceed 
to  China,  and  occupy  the  breach  where  a giant  had 
fallen.  Both  societies  have  unhappily  confirmed  the 
popular  impression,  that  men  of  ordinary  ability  will 
do  for  missionaries,  — that  ministers  who  are  capable 
of  great  usefulness  at  home,  cannot  be  spared  for  the 
heathen. 

Let  us  not  b onder  that  modern  missions,  when 
compared  with  the  ancient,  are  so  limited  in  their 
efficiency.  We  probably  expend  more  money  in  the 
enterprise  than  they  did ; but  our  piety  is  not  like 
theirs,  missionary  piety  ; our  zeal  is  not  like  theirs, 
missionary  zeal ; our  activity  is  not  like  theirs,  mis- 
sionary activity.  We  probably  talk  and  write  as 
much  about  converting  the  world  as  they  did ; but 
we  act  less,  we  give  less  of  personal  labor.  To  the 
many  designations  given  to  the  present  age,  we  may 
properly  add  “ the  age  of  resolutions.”  Under  the 
head  of  “ Resolved,”  we  all  announce  what  we  be- 
lieve and  what  we  deny,  what  we  desire  and  what 
we  deprecate,  what  we  have  done  and  what  we 
intend  to  do.  But  the  most  of  these  resolutions, 
contemplating  action,  are  never  executed,  simply 
because  no  one  of  the  conclave  that  passed  them 
feels  personally  responsible  for  their  execution.  In- 
dividuality is  merged  in  the  mass,  and  obligation  that 


36 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


presses  upon  the  whole,  is  unfelt  by  the  separate 
confederates.  I and  We  are  different  words,  and  it 
is  too  often  forgotten  that  the  former  is  included  in 
the  latter.  If  some  brother,  three  years  ago,  had 
said,  “ I resolve,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  this  year 
to  raise  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  foreign 
missions,”  very  likely  it  w^ould  have  been  accom- 
plished. A hundred  or  more  of  us  said  unanimously, 
“ We  will  do  it,”  and  not  an  additional  thousand  did 
the  resolution  bring  into  your  treasury. 

Not  thus  did  the  primitive  Christians  manage  their 
matters.  If  any  thing  was  to  be  done,  instead  of 
calling  meetings,  making  speeches,  passing  resolu- 
tions, and  then  leaving  the  work  undone,  they  went 
directly  themselves  and  did  it.  How  rightly  is  one 
book  of  the  New  Testament  named,  not  the  Resolu- 
tions, but  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  Non  dicta,  sed 
acta  Apostolorum. 

O how  changed  would  be  the  aspect  of  the  church, 
if  her  ministers  and  members  would  come  up  to  the 
same  standard  of  feeling,  and  principle,  and  action, 
recognising  in  etjual  degree  the  claims  of  a world 
lying  in  wickedness,  and  their  obligations  to  the 
world’s  Redeemer,  .lust  sujijiose  that  the  Church 
of  England  should  lay  aside  her  secular  character, 
and  become  strictly  a religious  body,  a missionary 
church,  spiritual,  self-denying,  enterprising,  how- 
luminous  would  bo  her  glory,  now  so  tarnished, — 
how  mighty  through  God  her  powTr,  now^  so  para- 
lysed ! Cousecratiug  all  her  wealth,  talent  and  iu- 
telligence  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  what  triumphs 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


37 


might  she  not  achieve  ? Let  her  archbishop  and  all 
her  titled  prelates,  laying  aside  the  paraphernalia  of 
outward  distinction,  — the  pitiful  remnants  of  Romish 
folly, — and  vacating  their  seats  in  the  halls  of  legis- 
lation, become  missionaries  of  the  cross,  such  as  Paul 
and  Peter,  Apollos  and  Timothy,  going  forth  in  the 
spirit  of  apostles,  not  to  advance  a sect,  or  to  dis- 
tribute the  j)rayer-book,  but  to  convert  the  pagan 
world  to  Christ  Jesus,  then  would  she  become  what 
she  is  not  now,  and  t\  hat  nothing  but  humiliation 
and  sacrifice  will  make  her,  “ the  perfection  of 
beauty,  the  joy  of  the  whole  earth.” 

What  but  their  Christian  simplicity  and  missionary 
zeal  have  made  our  Moravian  brethren  the  agents 
of  so  much  good,  the  theme  of  such  universal  com- 
mendation ? They  commenced  the  work  of  missions 
to  the  heathen  when  their  whole  number  did  not 
exceed  six  hundred.  They  now  reckon  probably  not 
more  than  ten  thousand,  none  of  whom  are  wealthy. 
Rut  they  continue  to  support  more  stations  and  more 
laborers,  and  make  annually  more  converts  to  Christ 
on  foreign  ground,  than  the  whole  Baptist  denomina- 
tion in  the  United  States.  ' 

Brethren,  we  are  culpably  deficient  in  duty.  ^Ve 
are  not  doing  good  in  proportion  to  our  ability.  We 
act  not  in  accordance  with  our  knowledge  of  the 
wants  of  a fallen  world,  and  the  will  of  our  sovereign 
Saviour.  However  it  may  be  in  other  departments 
of  moral  action,  it  is  certain  that  here,  where  the 
most  fervid  enthusiasm  is  but  cool  sobriety,  and 


38 


EFFICIENCY  OF  PRIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


where  it  is  hardly  possible  to  be  extravagant ; here, 
in  the  holy  cause  of  missions ; here,  if  no  where 
else,  we  actually  sacrifice  zeal  to  prudence,  or  to 
something  which  we  call  prudence,  but  which  the 
apostles  would  have  called  timidity,  or  unbelief,  or 
perhaps  covetousness.  Anxious  on  the  one  hand  to 
avoid  a blind,  headlong  impetuosity,  we  have  on  the 
other  diverged  too  far  into  a cold,  calculating  policy. 
Acting  with  cautious  reference  to  the  state  of  the 
funds,  we  lose  sight  of  the  promises  that  encourage 
adventure,  and  choose  rather  to  walk  by  sight  than 
by  faith.  Unwilling  to  trust  the  great  Promiser 
for  a long  time,  or  to  a large  amount,  we  treat  him 
too  much  in  the  commercial  spirit,  and  under  the 
pretext  of  doing  a safe  business,  we  do  comparatively 
nothing.  O brethren,  we  have  scarcely  begun  to 
feel  as  the  whole  church  must  feel  before  the  world 
will  believe  us  to  be  in  earnest,  and  before  we  can 
rationally  pray  for  the  divine  blessing  upon  our  en- 
deavors. We  need  more  of  the  spirit  of  evangelical 
enterprise, — the  hallowed  spirit  that  glowed  in 
the  bosoms  of  Paul  and  the  primitive  disciples ; of 
Luther  and  his  associate  reformers ; of  Brainerd, 
and  Schwartz,  and  Carey ; and  more  than  all,  in 
the  bosom  of  Him  who  “ came  not  to  be  ministered 
unto,  but  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a ransom 
for  many.”  The  energy  we  want  is  that  which 
sjirings  from  sympathy  with  the  grandeur  of  our 
object,  the  dignity  of  our  calling,  the  desirableness 
of  our  success.  We  need  a zeal  that  shall  be  kindled 
by  an  unclouded  view  of  the  condition  and  destiny 


EFFICIENCY  OF  FKIMITIVE  MISSIONS. 


39 


of  a guilty  world;  — a zeal  that  shall  burn  as  if  we 
had  just  come  from  beholding  the  crucifixion  of  the 
Son  of  God  ; — a zeal  that  shall  be  willing  to  be 
stigmatized  as  extravagant,  and  to  wait  a century  to 
be  appreciated  ; — a zeal  that  no  discouragement  can 
repress,  no  opposition  smother; — a zeal  like  that  of 
the  “ Prince  of  life,”  absorbing  us,  eating  us  up  ; — a 
zeal  that  shall  admit  of  no  repose,  and  intermit  no 
exertion,  until  the  gospel  shall  have  been  preached 
to  the  last  of  the  species,  and  the  Redeemer,  sur- 
rendering his  mediatorial  commission,  shall  proclaim 
to  the  universe  that  he  is  satisfied. 


K’  -tj  fi^ft*  >#h"^  ‘ ^ Mi*jM9Crt»wt^  * 


Art  iM':»r1f^  1 TO  Tor->riJi|t 


-T  «rtl|i  r»r|W  o||  ,-/il 

f bttw  Jlirt^ 

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